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The best stocking fillers for guitar players: 2020

From boutique pedals to must-have accessories, there’s something to suit every budget.

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With the holiday season fast approaching, the team here at Guitar.com has put their heads together and curated a list of unique, fun and must-have gifts for the guitar player in your life. Whether you’re looking for something personal, are aiming to add to the collection of a fellow pedal hoarder or simply a neat secret Santa gift, here there’s sure to be something to suit everyone’s taste and budget.

With such a tumultuous year almost behind us, what better way than to lift yours or your loved one’s spirits with the gift of music? Or, y’know, excruciatingly scuzzy fuzz… Below are our picks of the best stocking fillers for guitar players for 2020.

Blackstar AmPlug 2 Fly

Perfect for jamming on your own or when you need to rehearse that djent solo but don’t want to upset the neighbours, these nifty little headphone amps are battery-powered with three channels, nine built-in effects, and have a foldable instrument jack plug, making them suitable for standard and angled jack sockets alike. Ideal for amp-like tones in your headphones on the fly, they also offer a bass iteration too.

Get them via Blackstar.

Loaded For Bear Audio Instrument Cables

Offered in both a premium and a more affordable option, the Clarity Series from Loaded For Bear Audio comes with Sommer SC-Spirit LLX ‘Low-loss’ cables and copper core G&H Plugs. The standard instrument cable is offered with Rean or Switchcraft right angle/straight plugs and Van Damme Pro Grade Classic XKE cabling. Both can be made in a variety of lengths configurations and colours, and they also offer patch cables, XLR leads and plenty more besides.

Get them via James’ Home Of Tone.

Fender Pedals

Fender Pedals

For those that are hoping to find something a little more substantial in their stocking, we’ve included two killer pedals from Fender’s revamped range, in the MTG Tube Tremolo and Trapper Fuzz. The tremolo is powered by an NOS 6205 preamp tube, and also features oscillator wave shapes and a dedicated tap tempo foot switch. The Trapper, on the other hand, is a dual fuzz with the addition of an octave-up switch, perfect for if you’re a big fan of fuzz but don’t have much real estate available on your ‘board. Read our review here.

Order both directly via Fender here.

Walrus Audio Julianna Competition

Walrus Julianna Chorus/Vibrato

If you’re more intrigued by the boutique pedal market, you may want to switch your attention to Walrus’s new Julianna chorus/vibrato pedal. Reimagining the popular Julia, the boffins at Walrus have decided to double down on pretty much every aspect of the original Julia design, adding a mini-toggle which, in conjunction with the tap tempo footswitch. Read our review here and enter our competition to win one.

Head to face.be and Walrus Audio.

Ernie Ball Flat Ribbon Patch Cables

To help you keep those lovely new stompboxes neat and tidy on your board, you obviously need some patch cables, and that’s where these Ernie Ball flat ribbon patch cables come in. They’re super flexible, have a smaller connector than standard pancake cables and feature multiple shielding materials. If you’re looking for a low-profile alternative that’s durable and perfect for those that don’t have much in the way of pedalboard real estate, these are the cables for you.

Visit Strings & Things or Ernie Ball for more.

Audient EVO 4

Audient EVO 4

With the holiday season getting closer and closer, I’m sure that if you’re reading this, you’re hoping the man in the red suit will have a shiny new guitar waiting for you under the tree comes Christmas morning. With that said, at some point you’re bound to want to record that beloved new guitar too, and the Audient EVO 4 is ideal for the task. Perfect for beginners, technophobes and those that need to record quickly on the move, the Evo 4 is not much bigger than a smartphone, offers two XLR/jack microphone inputs plus a 1/4in jack socket and even automatically sets your levels for you. Read our review here.

For more visit evo.audio.

Diamond Bottlenecks

A high-quality slide can be difficult to come by, but these exquisite offerings from Diamond Bottlenecks buck that trend. These are hand-blown lead crystal glass guitar slides and come in a variety of sizes and styles, so there’s no excuse for choosing the wrong size and blaming your chops on the product! The one pictured here is Doug MacLeod’s signature model; offered in an exquisite blue, swirly finish.

Buy yours via James’ Home Of Tone.

Mother Mary Straps

Whether you prefer something utilitarian or one that reflects your style and personality, a unique guitar strap can be the gateway into a guitar players heart. These particular models are from Mother Mary, all handmade in St. Louis in the US and feature unique fabrics that are either made in-house or feature repurposed, vintage fabrics with painted leather ends that are hard wearing and durable. The perfect gift for the guitar player in your life.

Go to James’ Home Of Tone for more.

RightOn! Straps

For those of you that are more environmentally conscious, these uber cool straps from RightOn! might be more your speed. Their Mojo series is entirely vegan, with intricate stitched patterns, leatherette versions and even ones that include racing stri[es and feature grille cloths. Each one is made by hand in Spain. The model pictured comes in a sustainable, natural cork finish.

Visit James’ Home Of Tone for more.

Hercules Guitar Stand

Last, but certainly not least, we have one of the most vital accessories for caring for your guitar – a good quality stand. This model from Hercules offers an auto-grip system that works with the weight of your guitar, features padded legs to avoid any dings and is sturdy enough not to tip or fall should you be clumsy enough to knock or nudge your guitar.

Head to Hercules’ website for more info.

For more gear guides click here.

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